Severus took a slight step back when the boy himself, steeping in miserable sincerity, questioned his own paternity.  He had not considered the possibility until now that the brat had also added up the evidence that placed the past assumptions in doubt as Severus, and apparently Dumbledore, had.

But as soon as the Headmaster glanced up with a curious, decidedly searching, flash of his eyes Severus could tolerate the jarring situation no more.

With a low growl he stepped quickly forward and grabbed the moping teenager by his shoulders giving him a little shake.  "We'll soon see if any of this ridiculous tripe is true or not," he hissed coldly.

Potter tried to hastily step back out of his grasp, but Severus only tightened his grip and skilfully performed a silent Legillimency spell with his wand, that had at some point slipped back into his palm from where he'd lodged it up his sleeve, when the boy lifted his gaze to grant him an alarmed glimpse.

Dumbledore had reacted promptly to Severus' apparently aggressive gesture, stepping forward, but obviously recognised Severus' true intent, for he did not try to dislodge the dark man from his endeavour.

Severus' consciousness instantly dived into the memories of the moments that had been at the forefront of the boy's mind, the very ones the boy had described and which Severus sought to view.  There he found the slightly unsettling truth, that the boy had not lied or elaborated the events, and which confirmed that the letter that Severus had received from the boy's snowy owl earlier this evening was the very one the boy had sent off nearly two weeks ago addressed to his father.  With nothing further to garner from the boy's memories Severus withdrew.

For a few moments he stared into the boy's green eyes, those shaped and coloured precisely like Lily's, with a strange feeling of longing welling within him.  But it was only fleeting before he promptly swept it aside; the sentiment was absurd.  He dropped his hands from the boy's shoulders.

"Well, Severus?" Dumbledore queried, wishing to know his findings.

He huffed out a short sigh before answering, looking over at his superior.  "Potter's version seems to be in keeping with his memories of the event," he responded, evasive of specifically announcing that the boy was being truthful.

Potter himself was oddly silent, his eyes still fixed upon Severus.  The dark man wondered what the brat was thinking.  Beginning to feel uncomfortable under the scrutiny Severus took a step back from the boy.

"Severus," Albus began, taking a step forward as Severus had moved away so he was essentially between the two younger wizards.  "Is there... any possibility...?" he enquired probingly, a contemplative frown creasing his forehead.  And although he had not concluded the submission Severus was well aware of what he'd really asked and he found himself flushing a little in discomfiture.

SS.HP.SS.HP.

Harry was watching the older pair of wizards intently, desperately wanting to glean some idea of whether his sudden doubt regarding his genetics was justified or not.

When Professor Dumbledore had asked Snape if the notion was even possible, and Harry knew very well he'd virtually asked the younger wizard whether or not he'd ever had sexual intercourse with Harry's mother, Harry made a slight shuffle to the side to witness the dark man's response.

High spots of colour upon Snape's cheeks confirmed to Harry that Snape had interpreted the question in the same way Harry had.

After an uncomfortable few moments for all in the room Snape deigned to answer.  "I have not ever..." here Snape paused to take a fortifying breath and Harry almost keeled over with mortification when he thought Snape was about to admit to being a virgin!

Fortunately though, Snape soon continued his proclamation, "...been intimate with Lily Evans," he said, and Harry almost sighed aloud with relief despite the fact that he'd just been contemplating an element of Snape's sex life. 

The man continued to stare resolutely at the old Headmaster; however Harry thought for a moment that there seemed a pinch of uncertainty in Snape's features.

Dumbledore had not responded as yet, and Snape swallowed and seemed to feel the need to add, "...to my knowledge anyway." 

Harry's eyes practically bugged out at the addendum.  Snape wasn't steadfastly denying it... and therefore the potential that he was Harry's father?  Harry was thunderstruck!

"No... no I suppose we ought not to discount the possibility of memory tampering or deception just yet, even though it is most unlikely," the Headmaster suggested, musingly.  After a few more moments considering his thoughts internally he suddenly tilted his head at Snape.  "I rather think this is an issue that must be determined absolutely one way or another though.  Don't you?" he proposed, his measuring gaze roving over the dark man in front of him.

After a hard look in return, and a quick flick of his glance to Harry, Snape nodded once.  But the man had definitely begun to look rather pale now that his blushing had receded.

Harry felt his face also drain of blood and now felt decidedly faint.  This revelation of the prospect of mistaken parentage seemed to be going from bad to worse and Harry did not know how much more of the tension he could endure before his composure would crack.

Snape looked over at Harry again just then and after a momentary concerned crease of his brow he indicated toward a chair against the wall to Harry's left.  "Sit down, boy," he said fairly harshly.  But Harry didn't care, he was grateful for the solid support of the hard-backed, wooden seat as he complied immediately.

Harry continued to watch both the other men in the room to be sure he followed every twist and turn their contemplations and discussions would take despite his moment of feeling off-colour.  He felt a great ownership of the conundrum and therefore wished to keep abreast of their conclusions as they came to them instead of just when they felt like sharing with him, which he wouldn't put it past Snape to do.

Dumbledore was still eyeing the Potions Master with curiosity. 

"Are there any specific incidents which would give you cause to suspect you might have been deceived?" he asked Snape meaningfully.

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Severus, already feeling rather peaky, blanched further at the Headmaster's enquiry.  Was he really about to contemplate whether he had ever achieved his greatest, most personal dream and then had been deceived about it?! 

It was agony enough to know that he could never aspire to be Lily Evans' choice of partner despite his adoration for her, but to suppose he might have at least once been intimate with her and then had that memory robbed of him for some reason or another... it was inconceivable.  Just to fathom it stung so deep it resulted in indescribable anguish.  Severus could barely believe he was able to keep the emotions internalised only in the face of it.

But another short glance over at the child sitting on the student chair in front of his desk, the one whose paternity was in doubt, made him realise that for both their sakes the truth needed to be determined once and for all.

Severus took a moment to consider every lover he had ever taken in his early years; the admittedly inconsiderable mix of prostitutes; the drunken hag from the Leaky Cauldron plus the desperate, foolhardy, married woman from his Muggle neighbourhood.  Four or five in total... could any of those not have been what he'd assumed?  Did anything about those women and their encounter not add up?  Or, had there been another that had simply disappeared from his memory, left gaps in his remembrances?

However, out of all his recollections during the time period in question, the month Harry Potter would have to have been conceived, Severus could recall nothing of interest or note to suggest he might have had his memories tampered with or that any of the women had not been what and who he'd originally believed.  It was almost disappointing to concede given his unending desire for closeness with Lily Evans.

He shook his head in denial, returning his attention to the older wizard in front of him.  "No, Albus... there's no reason to believe it could ever have happened.  I can recall nothing suspicious."

The Headmaster looked him over again in contemplation, "Yet enough doubt remains... enough to seek more solid confirmation that Harry could not be your son?" he proposed softly, although he was quite taken by the idea of Severus being Harry's father if the tone of his voice was anything to go by.

It made Severus feel sick to the stomach to have the idea that the boy might be his own child voiced in such terms.  Was Harry his son... his own flesh and blood?  Had he been treating his own offspring with sickening disdain and bitterness all these years?  He didn't know what to wish for the most; that which would vindicate his treatment of the boy; or that which would cement an eternal bond with the woman he had loved so deeply even well beyond her death.  With such sentiments flying around his mind Severus did not dare to glance in the boy's direction again.

The only certainty Severus knew right now was that he must discover the truth! 

He spun abruptly on the spot and swept into his workroom through the unassuming, partly-concealed door behind him.  "I need to brew a potion," he stated over his shoulder before disappearing into the dark room.

HP.SS.HP.SS.HP.

Both the Headmaster and Harry Potter watched him depart and the tension in the room immediately diminished significantly.  The old wizard then turned to the younger and gave him a small, encouraging smile.

"Lemon drop, Harry?" he offered, holding out a small container that he'd deftly plucked from within his robes.

Harry swallowed nervously.  "Er... no thank you, Sir," he declined, his belly protesting in earnest to the very idea of filling it with anything more at the moment.

Dumbledore nodded understandingly and conjured his usual fancy chair to sit right next to Harry.  With a small flurry of robes he sunk into the armchair and leaned back, making himself comfortable.  Several minutes passed in utter silence as each mulled over the day's revelations so far, Harry with profound shock, and the Headmaster with deep consideration.

Eventually Harry could stand the quiet no more and blurted out, "It can't possibly be true can it, Sir?"

The Headmaster appeared almost surprised at the question and took a moment to answer.

"Ah, Harry... there are many ambiguities in this world, and without proper investigation I could not begin to suppose the truth to all of them."

Harry just blinked vacantly.

‘What?' thought Harry, genuinely perplexed at the vague response the Headmaster had given.   It made little sense to the teenager, nor gave any real meaning to the situation.  His forehead took on a confused frown.

"But I thought everyone knew James Potter was my father?" he asked, getting quite desperate for an explanation.

Professor Dumbledore turned in his seat a little toward the anxious teen.  "It was a rather unambiguous hypothesis, my boy," he answered, sounding rather bemused at the idea that there might have been a mistake made.

"But... why... how...?" Harry began, only to be stopped when Snape strode rather indomitably back into the room bearing a beaker full of sky blue, glistening potion.

"It is ready," he announced dispassionately.

"Ah," intoned Dumbledore, pushing interestedly to his feet.  "Kinship?" he inquired, nodding questioningly toward the beaker.

Snape nodded in confirmation.  "Yes."

Harry felt too queazy to stand.  "What's that for?" he asked, the apprehension in his voice undeniable.  "Are you going to make me drink it?!"